What Directors Really Mean When They Say “Less Is More”

We’re often told by directors and teachers that “less is more,” but less what is more what? The note requires at least a qualifier to help us define what it is we are reducing, and what we are likely to achieve in the process.
Wouldn’t it help if we (and our instructors) knew exactly what they were really saying? Simply put, it’s not about the amount of effort you expend on acting, it’s about the effectiveness of the energy you choose to output, otherwise known as economy. Less force is (often) more economical. Less distraction is (often) more focused. Less shouting is (often) more respectful to the audience’s eardrums. That’s not to say one shouldn’t ever force, distract or shout, only that one would be advised to try a number of options to assess the choice’s economy before settling on it in the final take.
Just because a door opened when you hit it with a sledgehammer doesn’t mean it wouldn’t have opened with a lockpick or a key. That’s a lot of energy to use before checking to see if the door was even locked in the first place. If you wish to keep the door on its hinges, a key (speaking calmly, moving slowly and deliberately, neutral facial

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What Directors Really Mean When They Say “Less Is More”

We’re often told by directors and teachers that “less is more,” but less what is more what? The note requires at least a qualifier to help us define what it is we are reducing, and what we are likely to achieve in the process.
Wouldn’t it help if we (and our instructors) knew exactly what they were really saying? Simply put, it’s not about the amount of effort you expend on acting, it’s about the effectiveness of the energy you choose to output, otherwise known as economy. Less force is (often) more economical. Less distraction is (often) more focused. Less shouting is (often) more respectful to the audience’s eardrums. That’s not to say one shouldn’t ever force, distract or shout, only that one would be advised to try a number of options to assess the choice’s economy before settling on it in the final take.
Just because a door opened when you hit it with a sledgehammer doesn’t mean it wouldn’t have opened with a lockpick or a key. That’s a lot of energy to use before checking to see if the door was even locked in the first place. If you wish to keep the door on its hinges, a key (speaking calmly, moving slowly and deliberately, neutral facial